Now or Never
by Fea-Varcion
Summary: Riku, an abused teen living with an unstable father who only wants his cousin for his body. Cloud, an emotionally disturbed male that doesn't know who to have faith in. Zexion, a lonely teenager with little hope in himself, and feels out of place with society. Xion, a teenage girl who just wants to start over again, this time with a new life. Shonen-Ai for the most part.


"Oh... Hell no." A red headed male stated as he stared at the collapsed body on the ground. "You've got to be kidding me." He whispered. The silver haired teenager laid, in an almost relaxed fashion, on his doorstep. _Probably just ran away from home..._ He sighed and picked up the boy, dragging him inside his house.

* * *

_Okay, let me get something straight, no, I do not like taking kids up from the street. Just to put that out right now, I'm really reasonable, yeah, but I'm not easy to push over. _

_Wait, wait... Let me start a bit before this. My name's Axel Rye. Yes, Rye. Like the drink, or the grass, or something. I have an older brother named Reno, and a little sister named Kairi. I'm in college so I live away from my brother and sister by choice. They live with my brother's love interest, some guy named Rude, he's weird, kinda... _

_Anyways, I'm normally sharing my house with a few friends of mine, Demyx and his cousin Larxene, who's madly in love with me. Then until recently, my best friend Saix complained it was too crowded and moved out. The house is actually really big, believe it or not I'm not one to generally take people in, but when I do, I make them leave when they feel better. This isn't all the time though, just so you know about that too. Get that memorized. But, that's what I'm going to do with this kid, just gonna keep him here until he's better then I'm kicking him out. _

_A few things I feel that you should know about me would be that I'm pretty headstrong, and I do get into arguments a lot because of it. I'm also a little hot-headed, in my sister's opinion. And I'm a pyromaniac. Don't be afraid, that's just who I am, and I'm loved for it. I barely even try, people come to me like I'm food. I love wearing tighter fitting jeans, somewhat tight shirts, and I have a habit of wearing scarves around my neck and having so many chains that they make more noise each time they hit another set. It's something about them that makes me feel very peaceful, kinda like the fire, got it memorized?_

* * *

Axel laid the silver haired boy onto the couch carefully and pulled the blanket from the opposite couch to place it on him. "Nice and snug."

"Who the hell is that?" A blonde haired woman asked loudly as she walked into the living room. She wore a tight green belly shirt and dark colored skinny jeans. Her boots were an emerald green color and it matched the purse drooping from her shoulder. "So, Axel?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Larx..." Axel looked up from the silver haired boy and grinned cautiously at his friend. "I found him sleeping on the doorstep, it's either bring him in or have you trip on him then curse the whole way while you're going to work."

"What doesn't answer my first question of-"

"I don't know who the kid is, I'm just hoping that he'll realize that running away from home isn't the best thing to do." Axel interrupted Larxene with a grin plastered on his face, unmoving. "So, you go on to work, I'll watch after him until then."

"Yeah, sure." Larxene shrugged, giving the sleeping boy one last glance before leaving the house somewhat slowly. Axel quietly stood in the background, watching her leave awkwardly. "Bye!" She said as she walked out.

The silver haired boy's body shifted under the blanket that caused Axel to turn his attention back to the boy. "Nngh.." He grumbled, trying to sit up on the couch.

"Hey there kid." Axel greeted, staring into the aquamarine eyes in front of him, "How do you feel?"

"Where am I?" He asked in response.

"In the house that you decided to take a nap on the doorstep of."

"Oh."

"How do you feel?" Axel asked again.

"I'm fine. And uh... Who are you?" He asked.

Axel chuckled awkwardly, "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" He asked, "I'm Axel, and you?"

"Riku.." The silver haired boy replied carefully. "Your place is pretty warm, you live here alone?"

"Nah. I live with a friend and his cousin." Axel shrugged and looked over to the T.V. "Say... What were you doing outside my door anyways?"

"I don't know? I got lost on my way home, and I was really sleepy... So I just laid down and took a nap." Riku shrugged, "How old are you?"

"Old enough to be a successful writer in college at the moment." Axel replied with a small grin. Riku slowly nodded and looked away.

"You're... Not a child predator are you?" Riku asked suddenly.

Axel quickly shook his head. "I'm not like that, I'm pretty sure I'm close to your age anyways." Axel replied. "How old are you then?"

"I'm 17. Almost 18." Riku replied, stretching sleepily. "How many years different are you?"

"Almost 6 years." Axel shrugged "So, when you're ready to leave, go right ahead. You're not staying here."

"Wait... Just a few days, please? My dad's blown a fuse and he's too angry for his own good. His brothers hate me, and his cousin doesn't talk to me, he barely even knows that I exist. I know how his cousin is though... I-I just... Please." Riku felt himself pleading. "Just a few days then I'll be out of your hair..."

"Uh..." Axel stared at the boy cautiously. "You're not gonna steal anything, are you?" He shook his head at the question.

"We're not poor, I'll pay for myself and all, I just need to... Get out of the house..."

"Did you do something?"

"No, not really. It originally wasn't my fault. My dad just went and became too nosey. He found out and threw things at me and such. He yelled about it and all, then threw me out the house. Told me I'd have to come back with sense... His brothers were the ones who originally knew, they told their cousin and laughed in my face. Their cousin told my dad, next thing I know, I'm being kicked out the house."

"What... Did you have like... Loads of illegal porn in your room or something?" Axel joked.

"Not even close. Attempted suicide many times. I cut a lot too... My dad wasn't very impressed, as you can see."

"What type of depression are you going through?" Axel raised an eyebrow curiously, sitting in the chair opposite of the silver haired boy that was focused on the floor.

"I-... My mom disappeared recently. She was the only one that looked after me and cared for me... She protected me from my dad... She loved me more when she knew that he didn't... Her presence is gone now, I don't know what to do. I didn't, and I don't think I ever will..." Riku continued to stare at the floor, though he could feel himself wanting to cry.

"I see... It's not that bad though. Even with your dad and his brothers pushing you around, that doesn't mean you need to fall into a depression. Maybe your father just cares about you in a different way? I wouldn't really know, I don't live with my parents, and I haven't seen them in many years. I don't even know if they're alive or not. Sure, I've gone through depressing things, I may not be able to connect with you in certain ways, but I'm pretty sure that I can help you as best I can?"

Riku sighed and nodded slowly, "Anything for you to agree to let me stay here whenever I really need the help. I promise I'll pay off any debts whenever I can, alright?" He offered.

"I don't really want to take money from a kid, but you know... I could take that money offer, it'll help pay for living here, kay?"

"Yeah, I'm more than happy to help."

* * *

"Mom, I'm off, okay?" A small blonde yelled, raising his hand as he waved to his mother who grinned lazily at him.

"Be safe out there, and take care of your sister on your travels, alright?"

"We're going to be alright mom!" He chuckled, patting his little sister as they made their way out the house and towards the sister's school. "Say, Namine, do you think you'll be alright getting to school today?" He asked his little sister.

"Oh...? I don't really think so... I'm a bit afraid to go to school by myself..."

The blonde nodded, "Yeah... Alright... I'll drop you off then.. It's just that band wanted us to practice earlier lately, and I haven't been able to do it much.. So.."

"Oh Demyx.. I'll go if it means that much to you." Namine smiled to her brother. Demyx grinned and kissed her on the cheek before running off. "Oh- Wait! You're in such a hurry..!"

Demyx nodded, "Yeah, I know! I really need to go! I'll see you later okay?!" He waved to his sister, "Be safe out there!"

"Okay..." Namine sighed, slowly walking to her school.

* * *

Cloud stared at his blonde cousin laying lazily on his couch. "You're going to have to leave you know. I have things to do, and I was told that I can't leave you alone at home."

"Psssh, Cloud. I'll be alright if you step out for a minute or two. I'm not a kid, I'm almost 17 for god's sake."

"Almost, which is the key word." Cloud frowned, never letting his eyes leave the blonde invading his house.

"Look Cloud, go do what you need to do, I'll be alright."

"Roxas..." Cloud sighed, "It's not going to just _be alright_. I have serious things to do, and I can't have you lingering in my house while I'm doing it."

"What's the worst that's going to happen? It's not like I'm going to hear you jacking off or-"

"That's not it, I-" Cloud paused when he heard his phone's music go off. He raised a finger to Roxas before answering carefully. "Hello? Who is this?" He questioned before waiting for the response, "Sephiroth?" His eyebrows raised as he looked away, gaining Roxas' interest and leading him to raise his eyebrows as well. "Have I seen Riku? No... He wouldn't come over here. I doubt Riku even likes me for what I told you." Roxas leaned more in his seat, trying to hear the conversation. "Uh... Yeah I guess you guys could come over for a bit, but I have a meeting with Z- Yeah him. I have to go and see him.. Well, no. Not with Roxas here, I don't want him overhearing-... Yeah that. Exactly. Alright... I'll uh, I'll see you in a bit then." Cloud hung up his phone and looked over to Roxas questionably.

"So... Who ya meetin'?" Roxas questioned with a sly smirk, "Is it your sugar daddy?"

"No. That's not what he is to me. But he's who I need to talk to about some things, and I really don't want you here while we talk. So please, remove yourself from this house."

"You talk the most to anyone when you're on the phone with Sephiroth, or just getting off of it."

"Whatever." Cloud rolled his eyes and pushed the blonde back on the couch before disappearing in the hallway, "Lock the door behind you when you leave." He called from somewhere else in the house.

Roxas stared at the wall for a moment before standing up from his seat and slowly walking out of the house, locking the door behind him. "God Cloud, you're a freaking jerk."

Cloud sighed as he glanced out the kitchen window, and watched as his little brother wandered away waving and swinging his set of the house keys. Watching the younger brother caused the older blonde to sigh heavily and close the curtain, whispering the good-bye he knew his cousin couldn't hear.

"He's gone?" A black haired male whispered as he pawed at Cloud's back. "Think we'll have some time before Seph gets here?"

"No." Cloud whispered, looking at the raven, "We'd cut it too close to when he gets here." He sighed and leaned on the slightly taller male. "Zack, about Sephiroth-"

"I don't care if you wanna keep being a swinger or whatever, you know I just want you to be happy."

"That's just it. I'm not happy, and I haven't been since you lost Angeal-"

"Angeal's not sick. He and Genesis are just traveling..." Zack whispered dolefully. "It's going to be okay."

"Despite everything?"

"I've accepted you, haven't I?" Cloud nodded to the question and kissed Zack's cheek softly. They paused when they heard someone opening the front door, "How many people did you give keys to?"

"Just you guys." Cloud whispered, pulling Zack with him to greet Sephiroth and his three brothers. "Welcome."

"You're too slow." Sephiroth growled, glaring at Zack, believing he was the cause. "I expect you to be here when I open this door." He held his hand out for cloud to come, and once he did, he forcefully grabbed the blonde's arm. "Come Kadaj and Yazoo, I've been quite stressed lately." Sephiroth growled pulling Cloud with him into one of the empty bedrooms.

Zack stared awkwardly at Loz, who laid on the couch sleepily. "So... What do you think they do in there?"

"Harass Cloud until Sephiroth is satisfied." Loz answered quickly. "Why? They pay him for it, so he said that it's fine."

"But aren't they all related?" Zack questioned, "Don't you think this is wrong?"

"It's not wrong if big brother says it isn't." Loz stated, "Why worry about what big brother says? It's fine."

"Um.. No, actually. This is _not_ fine, as you wanna put it." Zack replied, "It's totally wrong because of the incest."

"What do you care?" Loz questioned without missing a beat, "He's big brother's slave, and he gets paid for it, otherwise, he wouldn't be living here!"

Zack took a step back from the sassy buff silverette. "Look... Cloud is Sephiroth's cousin, don't you think it's a bit wrong for cousins to fool around like that?"

Loz shrugged, "I don't know why you're asking me. I was never involved with big brother's antics. I just come so that I don't have to be left in the house alone."

Zack sighed and slouched, "Right..." The raven shrugged to himself and slowly made his way out of the house, "I'll be back later, let them know Loz." He stated before wandering away.

_Something's most definitely going to have to change._

* * *

Riku sighed as he picked up yet another piece of clothes. He's been doing the laundry in the house for almost a week now, and every day there's always a huge load of clothes to pick up. The silverette frowned as a dirty bra dropped on his head, and glared up at the victim. "Larxene. Why wait till I'm picking up everything else to do that?" He questioned the blonde giving him an evil smirk.

"Well, you know, you _are_ the maid in the house, so clean up _all_ the clothes."

"Why do you even live with guys in the first place?!" Riku felt like yelling so much at the one person in the house that pissed him off the most.

"I live here because Axel is my boyfriend, and Demyx is my cousin." Larxene grinned, walking down the rest of the steps. "Hey, want a bit of wine? I'm getting a bit thirsty, and that's better than water right now."

"I can't drink though..." Riku mumbled looking at the older woman.

"I know! Isn't that great?!" Larxene grinned, skipping away happily. "Sucks for you!"

* * *

**Okay so... A lot is going on in this chapter, but at the same time... It's literally nothing going on too? For the most part, this story has NOTHING serious in it, it's just for fun and ga- Wait. No... That's wrong. That's all wrong. This story has an... Angsty feel to it... So it's pretty deep on the heart. Dang, I almost forgot what I wrote for this story. **

**Either way, I wrote the first chapter a little while ago, and I wanted to see how this was going to turn out. So, yeah. I actually do want to continue with this story, it probably won't be a long story, but... I _do_ know where it was going to go. **

**I hope you enjoy this read, and are looking forward to the next chapter! Let me know if there's any problems at all with the story, I will do my best to fix it!**


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